Roles of crop boom (orange) in biodiversity conservation in the northern limestone mountain region of Vietnam

This study examines the roles of crop boom (orange) in biodiversity conservation in Cham Chu Nature Reserve, Tuyen Quang province in the Northern Limestone Mountain Region of Vietnam. The results indicatedthat the local policy on orange development in Tuyen Quang since 2000 has made positive contributions to both local livelihood improvements and biodiversity conservation
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Roles of crop boom (orange) in biodiversity conservation in the northern limestone mountain region of Vietnam VNU Journal of Science: Earth and Environmental Sciences, Vol. 37, No. 4 (2021) 9-21 Original ArticleRoles of Crop Boom (Orange) in Biodiversity Conservation in the Northern Limestone Mountain Region of Vietnam Ngo Ngoc Dung, Le Trong Toan*, Tran Chi Trung, Nguyen Thi Vinh, Le Thi Van Hue VNU Central Institute for Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, 19 Le Thanh Tong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Vietnam Received 6 September 2020 Revised 23 December 2020; Accepted 03 January 2021 Abstract: This study examines the roles of crop boom (orange) in biodiversity conservation in Cham Chu Nature Reserve, Tuyen Quang province in the Northern Limestone Mountain Region of Vietnam. The results indicatedthat the local policy on orange development in Tuyen Quang since 2000 has made positive contributions to both local livelihood improvements and biodiversity conservation. On average, household income has significantly increased (VND 161 million Vietnam/household/year), of which income from sale of oranges made up 62% of the total household income. Poverty rate has been reduced by half during the last 10 years. Therefore, the dependence of the local livelihoods on the harvesting of forest resources has remarkably decreased, accounting for only 1% of the total household income. Data analysis indicates that the trend of increasing orange area (from 7% in 1986 to 27% in 2017) is related to the increasing forest cover in Cham Chu Nature Reserve (60.4 % of 1986 to 63.8% in 2017) and the decreasing trend of forested areas under human impact (11.3% in 2007 to 3.7% in 2017). Notably, the number of cases of violation of the Law on Forest Protection and Development has significantly decreased (from 66 in 2013 to 13 cases in 2017) in the study area. The case of Phu Luu shows that commodity agricultural development has had a positive impact on biodiversity conservation at the local level. Recommendations are provided at the end of the paper as how to strengthen thelinkages between commodity agriculture and biodiversity conservation in the limestone mountains of Northern Vietnam so that growth of rural incomes, poverty reduction, and biodiversity conservation can all take place. Keywords: Crop boom, orange, livelihoods, forest, wellbeing, Tay people, Northern limestone mountain region of Vietnam.________ Corresponding author. E-mail address:toancres@vnu.edu.vn https://doi.org/10.25073/2588-1094/vnuees.4669 910 N. N. Dung et al. / VNU Journal of Science: Earth and Environmental Sciences, Vol. 37, No. 4 (2021) 9-211. Introduction Kan and Quang Ninh provinces to China has become more serious [6]. A study on Tokin The limestone mountain region of Vietnam snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus avunculus),occupies 20% of its territory and is mainly in the one of 4 endemic primate species of Vietnam andNorthern provinces [1]. Due to typical natural, one of the worlds 25 most endangered primates,topographical and climate conditions, the distributed mainly in the limestone mountainlimestone region supports a larger number of region in Bac Kan, Ha Giang and Tuyen Quangendemic fauna and flora species [2]. The Critical provinces highlighted that the number ofEcosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) considered population of this species is reduced due toSino-Vietnamese Limestone of Vietnam as one hunting, loss of its habitats, but there is possibilityof the global biodiversity hotspots and priority to recover if they are well protected [7].corridors for biodiversity conservation in Indo-Burma [3]. Studies on agricultural production commodity development in South East Asia Tuyen Quang province, one of the provinces have mostly focused on the crops such as rubber,in the limestone region, is loca ...